When Dior announced its April 15 Pre-Fall 2025 show would take place outside the To-Ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan, I imagined guests like Anna Sawai would take the setting and the season to heart. Cherry blossoms would be in full bloom, and guests would channel the soft petals in shades of blush pink and red (while also paying homage to the host's house codes, of course). Instead, Sawai and her stylist, Karla Welch, swerved in a different direction that made avowed minimalists like me feel so validated.
The Emmy- and Golden Globe-winner walked Dior's wood-paneled step-and-repeat in my definition of the best spring work outfit. She layered a gray blouse with extra-wide sleeves over a matching charcoal skirt, with a thick belt cinching her top in the middle. Pointed toe heels peeked out from beneath the hem of her skirt, coordinating with a logo-embossed, top-handle Dior bag.
Anna Sawai's skirt suit struck a chord in my neutral-loving, suit-collecting heart. She didn't need a pastel spring color trend or a seasonal floral to ace the dress code; a sculptural short sleeve and slitted skirt got the job done. I, for one, would easily copy and paste this matching set to Marie Claire's headquarters (or fashion week in September).
Even without spring-coded cues, the Shogun star still channeled the message of creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri's Pre-Fall runway. Interpretations of the traditional Japanese kimono topped several of the looks, which Sawai's jacket also referenced. They're nods to Monsieur Christian Dior's longstanding appreciation of and reverence for Japanese design, tracing all the way back to the designer's first take on a kimono jacket released in 1957. He followed up that original piece with three custom pieces for Princess Michiko, a future empress of Japan, in 1959, among other projects. In the present, Grazia Chiuri tapped the kimono as a foundational piece to explore the relationship between a garment and a body wearing it through the collection.
Famed houses like Dior have been essential to Anna Sawai's ascent since landing the role of Mariko in FX's breakout drama. Early in her awards season campaigning, Karla Welch dressed her in custom pieces by Vera Wang and Louis Vuitton. As she racked up gold statues for her performance, she branched out to Carolina Herrera, Armani Privé, and eventually, Dior—becoming an official face of the house in February.
No matter which designer she's wearing—or show she's attending—Anna Sawai tries to imbue as much of her personal style into the house's signature aesthetic as she can. She told me as much while getting ready for her first appearance at Chanel Haute Couture last summer. "I felt like going to these kind of shows, I wanted to at least feel grounded and be my own self," she said. The example she set with her latest Dior skirt suit is one I can't wait to copy.
